Among Pope Paul VI's telltale signs of a diabolic
presence still operative in creation were doubt, uncertainty, questioning,
dissatisfaction, and
confrontation — all hallmarks in the story of the reception of Humanae Vitae in
the United States. Contraceptive practice, taught from the beginning of the
Church as serious sin, in Paul’s thinking became the occasion and the effect of
interference by the “hidden enemy who sows errors,” who undermines our moral
equilibrium — the Devil. In Paul’s teaching The Devil is the clever tempter who
makes his way into man through the sensual, the libido, a “crack” through which
the Evil One attempts to prevail against the Church. Here is an example of how this works....
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Are we less free than a 1950s housewife?
A look at contraception
Rome,
Italy, May 19, 2016 / 03:02 am (CNA).- What started as a
means to liberate women seems to have taken an ironic twist.
The past
century has witnessed the widespread normalization of artificial contraception,
with its promise of empowering women and teenage girls to gain freedom over
their bodies and fertility, along with a level of sexual liberation equal to
that of men.
This
freedom has emerged from what is seen as a longstanding culture of misogyny –
exemplified by the so-called “1950s housewife” – where women were expected to
marry young and dedicate their lives solely to homemaking, placing the comfort
and desires of their husbands before their own interests.
Thanks to
contraception, its proponents say, women no longer need to be controlled by a
society ruled by the expectation to marry and have a family rather than have a
career. In other words, with contraception, women can finally achieve their
true potential and earn the respect they deserve.
Yet,
little more a decade into the 21st century, the sexual exploitation of women
and girls is at an all-time high, and the dream of woman's liberation – as
promised by contraception – seems to be falling far short of the reality.
Provocatively-clad
women are regularly used in advertising campaigns to sell everything from car
insurance to sandwiches. Studies reveal an alarming percentage of young teenage
girls being forced or coerced into sexual activity with their boyfriends, with
similar trends colloquially seen among adult women. Victims of “rape-culture”
at universities are speaking out in increasing numbers about widespread sexual
violations on their campuses.
Then
there's the pornography industry, which has so normalized depictions of
degrading and aggressive sexual acts toward women that mainstream films and
television shows are following suit for the sake of entertainment.
All of
this begs the question: Did the 1950s housewife in fact have it better than
women of the 21st century when it comes to sexual freedom and respect? And,
could contraception be at least in part to blame for the current climate?
One
expert who believes that contraception is actually damaging to woman's freedom
in society is Fiorella Nash, a Catholic novelist and researcher for the
London-based pro-life group, Society for the Protection of Unborn Children
(SPUC).
Instead
of liberating women, a culture which readily encourages the use of
contraception in fact “undermines female autonomy,” Nash told CNA in an
interview last January in London.
“We’ve
sort of created a situation where, in order for women to be equal to men, they
have to make their bodies a little bit more like men.”
Ironically,
this discrepancy between contraception's promise of freedom and the tendency to
make women more susceptible to coercion begins with their fertility. Nash cited
the example of the “Pill” which is widely prescribed to treat a host of
conditions, from painful periods to acne, while the core causes of these ailments
are routinely neglected.
“It
suggests that women can’t look after their own fertility,” Nash said.
Consequently, many women are uneducated when it comes to their own bodies.
“Fertility
is very essential to women’s lives, and it ought to be something that we work
with, rather than (something we're) constantly trying to manipulate,” she
explained.
“There is
something very patronizing to me about the fact that we circumvent knowledge by
giving an artificial way out, almost as if women need a cure for being female.”
Contraception
is often touted for its role in opening the doors to greater sexual freedom.
However, rather than being a means of empowerment, Nash explains that
contraception, in fact, makes women more vulnerable.
While it
is not a new phenomena for men to be non-committal, or to abandon women they
have gotten pregnant, Nash said, “the contraceptive culture has given men a
license to do that.”
“Why
should you stand by a woman if she gets pregnant? If she had only read the
instructions on the package, she might not have gotten pregnant. And, there’s
always abortion, so there’s a way out, isn’t there?”
“It’s
almost allowed men to get out of their responsibilities, a lot more so than
women,” she said.
Nash
cited the reassurance men often give to their pregnant girlfriends – “I’ll
support you whatever you decide” – which, she says, is simply the man passing
on his responsibility.
“They’re
really saying: ‘Actually, I can’t be bothered. I’m not going to make any kind
of a comment here. I’m going to leave you to go through it. I’ll sort of make
reassuring noises, before I disappear into the next adventure.’”
“The
contraceptive culture has completely destroyed any respect for women,” which in
turn has “left women a lot more vulnerable,” she said.
Going beyond
relationships, the acceptance of contraception has wider implications in
society as well, Nash suggests: for instance, its role in the breakdown of
marriage, the increase of recreational sexual activity, the objectification of
women – even violence.
“A book
like 50 Shades of Grey would never have been produced in a culture that
respects women,” she said. “The whole story behind it – if you can call it a
story -- is very reflective of a society that does glorify the abuse of women.”
This
mentality translates into the so-called “rape-culture” at universities, Nash
suggests. On the one hand, she did stress that it is important understand the
context of the situation; for instance, taking into account the increased
tendency to report assault cases, and a better overall understanding what
constitutes a sexual offense, etc.
However:
“If you create a culture where women are regarded as objects for sexual
gratification, and where there’s always an assumption that that’s what girls
want, the onus is always going to be on the women to explain that she’s not
interested, rather than onus being on the man to ensure that the woman is
consenting.”
Films,
like the James Bond franchise, have contributed to the confusion with regard to
boundaries and consent, Nash said: for instance, a scene which shows Bond
walking into a woman's shower and having sex with her, without her objecting.
This
phenomena places “a huge burden on women,” she said, because it occurs within a
culture where men “believe that they have a right to take what they want.”
“If we
were really so emancipated, if women were so empowered, it really shouldn’t be
happening as much.”
Along
with cases of serious assault, women and girls, in turn, are often pressured
into sex with their partners. Nash cited a recent study in the United States
that revealed a high proportion of teenagers being forced or coerced into sex,
often out of fear of losing their boyfriends, having to prove themselves, etc.
“It does
raise the question about how much coercive sex, at least, is going on in
society...because, they feel the need to keep hold of a boyfriend, because they
feel the need to do the right thing by their husband, etc.”
In
another example, Nash spoke of the UK TV personality Davina McCall, who
reportedly said a wife must satisfy her husband in the bedroom “even if you’re
absolutely exhausted.” If not, “he will go somewhere else.” Following the
statement, many critics compared McCall to a “1950s housewife.”
“Actually,”
Nash said, “that’s not a comment from the 1950s. That is the sexualized 21st
century speaking.”
“There’s
nothing that odd about her saying that within the context of a very sexualized
society that says people have a right to sex, they have a right to sexual
gratification, and therefore, frankly, women should just be expected to deliver
it.”
“Is this
really what emancipation was about? Is this really what the suffrage movement
was fighting for a hundred years ago? How much progress have we really made?”
Although
she acknowledges the extensive progress that has been made in the area of
woman's rights, Nash nonetheless holds that contraception and abortion have in
many ways increased the challenges for women.
“Once you
throw 'choice' – or, it’s really a false choice – contraception into the
equation, then everything’s a woman’s fault.”
Tags: Contraception, Women, Catholic News
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